Tag: Chester

On 24th October 2018 Peers voted on amendments to the Government’s Ivory Bill. Lord Cormack moved an amendment to the Bill, which was not passed but was supported in the voting lobbies by the Bishop of Chester.Continue reading “Vote: Ivory Bill”

On 18th October 2018 Baroness Cox asked Her Majesty’s Government ‘whether they are aware of the case of “Sarah” who was, as reported in the Daily Mail on 14 September, held captive by a grooming gang for 12 years; and if so, what assessment they have made of that case and its implications.’ The Bishop of Chester, Rt Revd Peter Forster, asked a follow up question:

The Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, the Minister’s answers have related largely to child sexual abuse, but this is not a child case—it is a case of a vulnerable adult. I know it is a difficult issue, but I wonder whether a culture in which it is acceptable to pay for sexual services does not encourage some of the regrettable attitudes we have seen in these dreadful cases. Continue reading “Bishop of Chester asks about sexual abuse cases”

On 10th September 2018 a statement was repeated in the House of Lords about the Government’s victims strategy. The Bishop of Chester, Rt Revd Peter Forster, responded to the statement with a follow-up question:

On 12th July 2018 Lord Leigh of Hurley led a debate in the House of Lords on the motion, “That this House takes note of the measures being taken to promote personal savings and the role they can play in building a stronger and fairer economy.” The Bishop of Chester, Rt Revd Peter Forster, spoke in the debate:

The Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, on behalf of the House, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Lilley, for his splendid maiden speech and look forward to many contributions from him in future. He mentioned the kingdom of Mercia; Chester was the northern outpost of that kingdom, so I look forward to collaboration with the noble Lord, as we do collaborate on a think tank concerned with energy and climate policy. Continue reading “Bishop of Chester highlights importance of credit unions and financial education”

On 12th July 2018 Baroness Deech asked Her Majesty’s Government “what plans they have to review the 10-year limit on the storage of frozen eggs for social reasons under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008.” The Bishop of Chester, Rt Revd Peter Forster, asked a follow-up question:

The Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, a man speaks with considerable hesitation on this very sensitive subject. Does the Minister agree that part of the success of the original Act was that there were certain clear boundaries laid out in it, not least the 14-day limit for experimentation on embryos? Therefore, whatever is decided in the future, I think the spirit of clarity is essential as we go forward. I can see the case for the 10-year limit being extended, but it needs to be done in a way that is quite clear in order to protect everybody.

Baroness Manzoor: The right reverend Prelate is absolutely right, and I have indicated that this is a very complex area that needs to be considered very carefully. ​Of course, we must not forget that fertility begins to decline after the age of 35, so we do need to keep these issues continually under review.

On 10th July 2018 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a question he had tabled to Government about the date for bringing in the promised reduction in stakes on fixed-odds betting terminals. The Bishop of Chester also asked a follow-up question and a full transcript of the exchanges is below:

On 10th July 2018 the House of Lords paid tribute to the late Lord Carrington. The Bishop of Chester, Rt Revd Peter Forster, paid tribute on behalf of the Lords Spiritual:

The Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, from these Benches I endorse all that has been so eloquently said about this remarkable man. I shall add two more local footnotes. The family home of Lord Carrington is in Bledlow in Buckinghamshire. He never made anything of this but he would open his gardens every year, and over his lifetime more than £100,000 was raised for local charities. That is the sort of man that he was. Continue reading “Bishop of Chester pays tribute to Lord Carrington”